His words did not flow smoothly, their very impetus causing them to tremble and break, and, broken, they poured from his lips in a torrent, precise, nevertheless, and powerful, with their vigorous Roman accent.
"That is true! We have no human fears.

We are striving for things too great, and we desire them too intensely to feel human fears! We wish to be united in the living Christ, all among us who feel that the understanding of the Way, the Truth, and the Life--is--is--is--growing, yes, is growing in our hearts, in our minds! And this understanding bursts so many--what shall I call them ?--so many bonds of ancient formulas which press us, which suffocate us; which would suffocate the Church were the Church mortal! We wish to be united in the living Christ, all among us who thirst--who thirst, Abbe Marinier! who thirst! thirst!--that our faith, if it lose in extent, may gain in intensity--gain a hundredfold--for God's glory! And may it irradiate from us, and may it, I say, be as a purifying fire, purifying first Catholic thought and then Catholic action! We wish to be united in the living Christ, all among us who feel that He is preparing a slow but tremendous reformation, through the prophets and the saints; a transformation to be accomplished by sacrifice, by sorrow, by the severing of affections; all who know that the prophets are consecrated to suffering, and that these things are revealed to us not by flesh and blood, but by God Himself, dwelling in our souls.

We wish to be united, all of us, from many lands, and to regulate our course of action.
Catholic freemasonry?
Yes; the freemasonry of the Catacombs.

You are afraid, Abbe?
You fear that many heads will fall at one blow?
I answer.
Where is the sword mighty enough for such a blow?
One at a time, all in turn may be struck; to-day, for instance, Professor Dane; to-morrow, Don Fare; the next day, this Padre here.

But should the day come on which Abbe Marinier's fantastic harpoon should bring up, all bound by a common cord, famous laymen, priests, monks, bishops, perhaps even cardinals, what fisherman is there great or small, who would not be terrified, and who would not cast back into the water harpoon and all the rest?
Moreover, I must beg you to pardon me, Abbe Marinier, if I ask you and other prudent persons like you, where is your faith?
Would you hesitate to serve Christ from fear of Peter?
Let us band together against the fanaticism which crucified Him and which is now poisoning His Church; and if suffering be our reward, let us give thanks to the Father: _'Beati estis cum persecuti vos fuerint et dixerint omne malum adversum vos, mentientes, propter me_.'" Don Paolo Fare started to his feet and embraced the orator.